Thames Water and burst main

[louisiana]

We seem to have a bit of a situation in the southern part of the zone.

Since yesterday eve, no water.

6.25am - Thames Water finally posted on Thames Water Live that there was no water across quite a few streets, including mine. Burst water main.

Since then, no news from Thames of any worth.

I have called them several times, and done several walkabouts. I'm supposed to be working.

My neighbours are texting me and emailing me to ask why there is no water. Some of them are very, very elderly.

Thames water by phone says, following many calls:

1. Go to standpipe outside Neptune Fish Bar. That's in NORTH London, Lordship Lane, TW, about 10+ miles away. Get your geography right!

2. There's a standpipe somewhere, we don't know where. Just the one. Somewhere.

3. We have no idea why there is just the one for this huge area.

I went on a walkabout, with jerry cans.

All shopkeepers on LL parade (near Harvester) affected. No water. Just like our street, and the streets around. No water since yesterday. And it's hot.

The guys digging up the road, at junction of Overhill - shout out for KEVIN! great lad - had no idea if there was a standpipe anywhere in the area. Nobody had told him anything, and nobody had asked them to erect a standpipe. He was deeply sorry, and I think regarded it all as a bit shocking and embarassing.

We eventually found a standpipe hidden behind a tree on the Dulwich Common/South Circular junction. Nobody knew about it. And it was unmarked. I walked past it several times.

And it is about 20 minutes walk from people without water on this street! They cannot walk from there carrying full jerry cans! Really! I had to try to get carried home just with 25 litre jerry cans. It took me half an hour. Most drivers are not helpful.

I called Thames again to ask them why there was no standpipe nearer to our streets - this street, or next street, or street after that. And they had no answer. Apparently "someone from Planning" will phone me up today to tell me why! But they had no proposal to set up standpipes any nearer.

While I may be able to put up with 'festival washing' (wet wipes) and so on, and deal with having a blocked toilet, many elderly people here have no water even to drink (there's a care home on this road too, apart from very elderly neighbours). And it's hot!

Now, Thames have PULLED the burst water main indicator from the Thames Water Live map!!!

As of 1.20pm today.

And this while the guys digging to fix it still have hours of digging to go. I have the photos and the convos.

And Thames still has no info on its website about where to get water in the district.

I'm so angry.

[louisiana]

Time for a Thames Water twitter rant, methinks, given they haven't got back to me with any excuses, and we are now into more than 12 hours without water on (one of?) the hottest day of the year.

[fl0wer]

There is now a red alert heatwave warning on the Met Office website http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

Expected to reach the 90F mark about 4 p.m.

which means that the very young + the elderly are especially vulnerable. Please let EDF know of anyone who needs urgent supplies of drinking water from neighbours, etc.

It couldn't come at a worse time and TW aren't taking the right care of vulnerable people here. At the very least, immediately they could send a vanload of bottled water to distribute door-to-door in affected streets.

[louisiana]

Agreed fl0wer

So, I'm now onto Thames Water again, by phone....

[louisiana]

After all, nobody "from Planning" has yet called me back.

But heck, I didn't expect them to!!

[louisiana]

The roads affected include:

Mount Adon Park

Overhill

Melford...

and all points up to south circular, A202.

And Lordship Lane east side along that entire stretch.

[fl0wer]

Great effort, louisiana. Keep us updated.

[Sue]

That's truly disgraceful.

Would it be worth getting a councillor or MP onto the case?

And/or Southwark News?

[B&G]

Oh dear, this isn't good at all. Have you tried Tweeting about it? I know that sounds ridiculous, but it often embarrasses them into doing something about it. Could be worth a shot?

[fl0wer]

Louisiana, anyone else, go here http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,336529,1148755,page=102#msg-1148755

to see whether Cllr James Barber can prompt some immediate action from TW

could be life & death for someone

[Twirly]

Definitely get councillors, MPs and press involved. Having a problem is one thing, giving out information on how to get water is something else entirely, and I'm pretty sure they do have legal obligations. Yes, just had a look at the Off Wat site: http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/rightsresponsibilities/interruptions which says:

Emergency interruptions

If the supply fails or is interrupted for emergency works, your company should tell you:

that the supply has been interrupted or cut off

where to get an alternative supply

the time by when the supply will be restored

the phone number from which you can get further information

Replacement water supply

If the piped supply of water fails, the companies must provide at least 10 litres of water per person per day to affected consumers within the first 24 hours, and maintain this until the piped supply is restored. They may do this by providing bottled water or through bowsers or stand pipes.

Hope this gets sorted for you soon - I remember what it was like when our water was cut off a few years back when it was hot, it was awful, so you have my sympathy.

[fl0wer]

Have alerted James Barber to this thread, by email

[louisiana]

I've just had Thames Water press office people finally ring me back.

(Yes, I went to press office, as nobody else would pay attention all day).

They are going to send out some bottled water!

I have spoken to them about the bottled water issue. (No good sending ME bottled water when my elderly neighbours have nothing).

They REALLY should do standpipes in each street without water.

[louisiana]

Twirly Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hope this gets sorted for you soon - I remember

> what it was like when our water was cut off a few

> years back when it was hot, it was awful, so you

> have my sympathy.

Twirly, we've had the water cut off repeated over last 24 months. Always without warning.

[mynamehere]

I'm at the south end of Upland Rd very near Lordship Lane if anyone needs water they can have what they like: PM!

[fl0wer]

Have also alerted Renata Hamvas

[Mrs Nicklin]

Just walked past that area and there's water gushing all down the road into the drains while the houses have none. SORT IT OUT, THAMES WATER!!!

[louisiana]

B&G Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh dear, this isn't good at all. Have you tried

> Tweeting about it? I know that sounds ridiculous,

> but it often embarrasses them into doing something

> about it. Could be worth a shot?

twitter tag #thameswaterfail

Do join in!

[louisiana]

Thames Water press office just called me.

They have decided finally to send in some bottled water. Delivery around 8pm they say, "somewhere along Lordship Lane".

I did point out to them than Lordship Lane is some 2 miles long (even when you get the RIGHT Lordship Lane).

So, are we any further forward?

Maybe not.

No standpipes. I insisted they came back to me on this and they haven't yet.

No water in system anywhere.

Road digging for burst main continues, for some hours at least.

Absolutely NO updates from TW.

TW press office understands this is a complete failure.

They have personally put the burst water main back on their LIVE map; and have promised me that they will post location of standpipe (finally!!!) to the site.

[Burbage]

Thames Water (in bottles) currently being distributed outside Norman Court (just North of Overhill Rd jn)

[louisiana]

Thanks, Burbage.

My latest news is that they have no idea when we are going to get reconnected to water supply...

-

By the way, the "someone from Planning" from Thames Water - re standpipes - never did call me back.

[spark67]

I just came on the forum as our water pressure has dropped dramatically,& thought i might find out on here why, and it seems I have ! we are on underhill road near belvoir rd, our water has been fine up until now, hence we didn't know about what has happened to the streets around us..it appears the problem is spreading. the two flats above us have no water at all & one of them has two toddlers !

[louisiana]

fl0wer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Have also alerted Renata Hamvas

I did try alerting the College Ward councillors, but everyone is going through to answerphone (and the one message I left hasn't been responded to).

[louisiana]

How bizarre. Once again the burst main (and any accompanying info) has vanished from the ThamesWaterLive map!!

After the TW press office specifically put it back on there while I was on the line to them.

But no, there is no water.

There's a new set of blokes taking over the digging. That is all.

[Tanday]

ThamesWater have been texting customers who gave their mobile details about the situation today. A standpipe has been erected outside 555 Lordship Lane.